What She Saw
by The Marauder Named Prongs
Summary: Bellatrix Black hears rumors about her cousin, Sirius, and a certain werewolf. She decides to investigate and uses her newly acquired knowledge to her full advantage. RLSB slash. The real story of why Sirius was disowned and its repercussions.
1. Chapter 1

**I am aware that this story is not entirely canon. I know that Bellatrix Black would have graduated from Hogwarts long before the Marauders arrived, but she is needed in this story, so I have her as only two years older than Sirius. Sorry. And I apologize in advance for the constant POV switching this story contains. Again, it is needed. Enjoy!**

**What She Saw**

**PART ONE**

The rumors had begun in the Gryffindor dormitories. From there, they had spread steadily like a ripple in a pond to the rest of Hogwarts students. Because of the self-preferred – but not necessarily self-inflicted – isolation of the Slytherin House, the rumors had taken a significant amount of time to reach Bellatrix Black. But reach her, they did in the form of Lucius Malfoy. How he had discovered them can only be assumed. Lucius was a greatly skilled eavesdropper, if nothing else.

"Oh, Bellatrix," Lucius cooed dangerously as he entered her dormitory unannounced. The object of his attention merely flicked her wand from where she sat upon her bed, closing the door behind him with a sharp snap.

"What is it that you want, Malfoy?" she questioned, doing nothing to mask her annoyance at his sudden disturbance.

"Ah, Bella," he grinned as he sauntered to her bed and took a graceful seat at its foot. Bellatrix glared but held her tongue. "Can we not be on a first-name basis," Lucius continued, "now that your darling sister and I are betrothed?" He smirked.

Bellatrix's face soured considerably, but again, she held her tongue. Lucius was lucky he had caught her in such a patient mood. "Why are you here, Malfoy?" she inquired hotly, ignoring his previous statement completely.

Again, Malfoy smirked; even his eyes lit up. "I have information I am quite certain you would love to hear."

Bellatrix doubted the truth of this statement strongly, but she merely requested that Lucius, "Go on," with a simultaneous, careless wave of her hand. She did not even bother to look in his direction as he spoke.

"It pertains to your dearest cousin, Bella," Lucius continued, mirth creeping into his words. At the sudden stunned look on her face, Lucius cut her off abruptly. "No, I am not referring to young Regulus," he said, pausing for mere dramatic effect, "but rather dear Regulus' Gryffindor brother." Though she made no physical movement, Lucius was certain he had now caught her undivided attention. She stayed silent, processing Lucius' words, her eyes narrowing as she peered into his amused face. Clearly, he was expecting her to say something. She complied grudgingly.

"What has that little brat done this time?" she inquired angrily, adding a precarious side note before allowing Lucius to embellish upon his information. "If this has anything to do with what Sirius and his arrogant little friends do to poor, defenseless Severus," she spat the words vehemently with a roll of her heavily- lidded eyes, "I've heard it one hundred times before, and you will be sorry for it." Her eyes had grown wild as she spoke. She now sat directly beside Lucius at the foot of her bed, her hair falling over her shoulders. She looked mad.

Lucius grinned at her attempts to be intimidating. As if her threats and her physical nearness could intimidate him when he was set to marry her young sister. "It has everything to do with his little friends," Lucius clarified cryptically, "And nothing to do with Severus."

Bellatrix sat back once more, scrutinizing Lucius carefully as she ran her fingers through her dark tresses in thought. The boy did love to exaggerate. "Malfoy," she began once more in a dangerous tone, "I do not have all day. I would _greatly_ appreciate it if you would get on with it." She smiled sweetly, but the look in her eyes made her appear quite insane.

With an exasperated sigh, Lucius growled, "All right, all right," before the longest dramatic pause of his entire life to date. He did not miss Bellatrix's second irritated eye roll. "Your ickle cousin Sirius is dating his little dormmate Remus Lupin." He did not pause to give her time to process this information. "And by now, there's a good chance he's probably shagging him too." Again, mirth settled heavily into Lucius' words. It died quickly at the look on Bellatrix's face as she gathered herself and realized just what Lucius had implied; not to mention the endless possibilities if what he said were true. She knew she needed raw proof; she needed to confirm it with her own two eyes.

"OUT!" Bellatrix screeched at Lucius, rising from her bed and pointing furiously towards her door, "NOW!"

Knowing better than to disobey Bellatrix Black when she held a look like that on her face, Lucius hastened to the door. But he did not leave before adding nonchalantly, "I've heard they often rendezvous in empty classrooms when they cannot get their dormitory to themselves." He winked deviously before disappearing around the corner of the doorframe.

And thus, Bellatrix was left with her thoughts and plans.

* * *

James Potter had held in the secret of Remus and Sirius' relationship for several months. They had asked for his silence and he had obliged willingly. After all, it was not his place to share this knowledge with anyone. That is, until a certain redhead became suspicious and started asking questions. James had never intended to tell her, but she had tricked him into it! He repeatedly explained this to Remus and Sirius, but they never did entirely forgive him. They just wouldn't listen to what James had to say to defend himself, no matter how many times he tried. And here James was again, recounting the events and blubbering apology after apology, even though the secret had started to spread at least three weeks prior.

Remus was glaring at him from his perch on Sirius' bed. James couldn't help making a mental note about how much more open the two of them had been since James' accidental revealing of their relationship to the general public. Shouldn't they be thanking him or something?

"Really, James," Sirius began _again_, "Why'd you have to go and tell Evans? I mean, it's bloody _Evans_. Little miss Gryffindor popular. Obviously she was going to tell all of her friends. What were you thinking, mate?" Sirius was pacing the length of the room repeatedly, shooting reproachful glances at James and comforting smiles at Remus. Apparently, an older student – more than likely a Slytherin – had jinxed Remus when his back was turned for being a 'flaming ponce'. Yeah, James felt bad for that, and he felt even worse for the fact that the Slytherins had finally found out. This did not bode well for Sirius, as the majority of his family occupied that house.

"I _told _you, Sirius," James said in exasperation, "She was acting like she already knew. I thought she'd glimpsed you two snogging or something. How was I supposed to know it was all just some rumor flying around the Gryffindor girls? It must have started somewhere, and _that_ wasn't my fault."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You still confirmed the suspicion."

James sighed. Yeah, he did, but he didn't do it on purpose. There was no winning with these two. It used to be Sirius and himself who were unstoppable, but lately, the tables had turned in a certain werewolf's favor. James wouldn't have minded if they weren't ganging up on him.

After several seconds of silence, James lifted his head to where Remus still sat on Sirius' bed. His face looked softer. He called Sirius over to him, wrapping his arms around his chest in a comforting gesture. He was speaking quietly in Sirius' ear, though James could not hear him. A smile was slowly spreading over Sirius' face. James felt as though he was intruding on something private – not that that hadn't happened a million times before. He chose to look away as he realized just what that look was in Sirius' eyes. It was successfully making him feel very awkward.

Not long after, Sirius and Remus stood as one. Remus immediately made for the door, but Sirius held back.

"We'll try to back off you, mate," he said, smiling at James, "You're probably telling the truth. Evans is a nosy bugger. She probably saw us together and decided to use your sickening obsession over her to her advantage." Sirius' smile turned mischievous as James made to throw a pillow at him. With a quick wave, Sirius and Remus were both out of the dormitory, leaving James feeling slightly queasy about what he knew was about to go on somewhere in the castle between his two best friends. Couldn't they be subtler?

He decided now would be a good time to hunt down his beautiful redhead, rather than stay in this empty dormitory with his lunch swimming uncomfortably in his stomach.

* * *

Bellatrix planned to leave dinner early that night, determined to catch her dearest cousin Sirius in the act of what nearly half of the school was now accusing him of. She had never found any reason to listen to the pathetic, childish gossip of the surrounding Hogwarts houses until her conversation with Lucius Malfoy the night before. For the entire day, Bellatrix had listened quite carefully any time her cousin's name came up – which was more often than she had originally expected. It was hard to admit that he shared her blood. Mudbloods and half-bloods fawned over him incessantly. It was disgusting. Most of the males commented on his little friends' latest pranks and hell-raising, but the girls were far more enlightening. A girl of unknown age, whose house Bellatrix did not know or care to know, sat gossiping with her friend through their entire shared History of Magic class.

"I swear it, Maryann," the first girl said, her voice quiet but excited, "I heard it straight from Lily, who heard it straight from James, who dorms with Remus and Sirius. If anyone is going to know the truth, it's James Potter. And if James Potter is going to tell anyone, it'll be Lily Evans."

The second girl – Maryann – was nodding in agreement. "I understand that, Debbie, but I'm still not sure. Lily may have been lying about the whole thing."

The first girl – Debbie – shook her head, "Lily would never do that and you know it. She really likes Lupin, why would she try to sabotage him?" The girl held out her had as though expecting her friend to physically hand her the answer.

"Maybe she likes Remus so much that she's spreading this rumor to keep all the other girls away from him." At this, Bellatrix had to roll her eyes. She was well-aware of who Lily Evans was and she was well aware of what James Potter thought of her. The more she listened, the stupider this Maryann girl sounded to her. Was it really so hard to believe that there were honest people in the world? Bellatrix almost laughed at the irony of her thoughts.

"Maryann, that's rubbish and you know it."

Maryann fell silent with a shrug.

Sighing exasperatedly, Debbie attempted to continue their conversation. Both girls were still completely oblivious to Bellatrix's eavesdropping. "Well, if you really want to see who's right, I know just the way."

The second girl smiled deviously. "I knew you were doing something over at the Gryffindor table this morning. You were eavesdropping on James and Sirius, weren't you! I couldn't figure out why on earth you would want to go speak with Peter Pettigrew. That boy is so awkward." Debbie nodded sheepishly, to her friend's delight.

"Yeah," she said, "I heard Sirius saying he had plans in the Transfiguration room tonight when James asked him to go play a round of Quidditch at dinner." She paused for dramatic effect. Bellatrix rolled her eyes, being thoroughly reminded of Lucius.

Maryann took over excitedly. "Let's skip dinner, Debbie! Oh please! Then we'll know for sure if what everyone's saying is true!" Debbie nodded again, this time both girls dropped into a pathetic peal of giggles. Even good ol' Professor Binns could not ignore their volume.

He looked up indifferently from the book he was reading from. "Do you have a problem, Dorothy?" he asked. Abruptly, both Debbie and Maryann shut their mouths. To Bellatrix's great pleasure, they did not open them again all class. She left History of Magic with mirth and something akin to excitement in her heart. Tonight, she would get all the evidence she needed to quell her own suspicions.

* * *

As Remus and Sirius left the Gryffindor tower after their latest confrontation with James, they had light hearts and gleeful expressions. Remus had convinced Sirius to skip dinner with him to do more appetizing things. Little did Remus know, Sirius had already decided to do just that. He held Remus' hand as they practically skipped down the corridor to the Transfiguration classroom. As soon as the door snapped shut behind them, they were all lips and limbs. Remus had the decency to cast a silencing charm against the doorway before Sirius carried things too far away.

Not long after, the two Hufflepuffs – Debbie and Maryann – were huddled outside the very doorway that blocked the rest of the school from the doings of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. The door had no window, and the girls knew they would have to do some fancy wand work to see into the room without alerting Sirius and Remus to their presence. They put their skills together, crafting a one-way mirror of sorts into the room through the door. They could not hear anything, but the sight that met their eyes was enough to quell any doubts Maryann could have ever had. There were lips and tongues and limbs all tangled together in a twist of half-discarded clothing.

"Oh my word," Debbie whispered. Maryann nodded in agreement. They tried to look away, but they couldn't bring themselves to tear their eyes from the intimate sight. They stood transfixed for several moments as the passion inside the room reached a boiling point. Their jaws hung open and their eyes were wide. They didn't even hear the sharp click of heels across the tiled floor until a menacing shadow fell over them. Debbie was the first to turn; who she saw made her squeak ridiculously in fright.

"Bellatrix!" she said, shrilly. Her distraction caused the magic she and Maryann had crafted to fail. The portal into the classroom disappeared as Maryann turned with a look of similar fear in her eyes.

Bellatrix put on her most frightening demeanor, her Prefect badge glistening on her chest. In a sickly sweet voice, she asked, "Why aren't you at dinner?"

Both girls visibly gulped. Maryann tried to stutter a reply, but Bellatrix cut her off with a careless flourish of her hand. The girls winced, expecting a spell to follow the movement. However, Bellatrix merely stated, "I really don't care, but you seemed quite enthralled with something behind that door. Now, what could that have been?" Her tone turned mocking, and she smiled. The girls seemed speechless with fright. Bellatrix rolled her eyes, flicking her wand in their direction. As easily as if they were on wheels, she moved them several feet away from the door. From there, they nearly ran from the corridor.

With a deep, crazed breath, Bellatrix pointed her wand viciously at the door to the Transfiguration classroom. With a deafening bang, it blew open as though a hurricane had smashed into it. And on its other side was truly all the proof Bellatrix had come looking for. Upon one the many identical desks sat her cousin, Sirius Black, with his shirt undone and thrown half off of his shoulders. Upon his thighs sat a flushed and tousled Remus Lupin, his shirt in a similar fashion to the boy beneath him. At the sight of her, Sirius's eyes darkened to a stormy gray. Gently, he lifted Remus from his lap. The tawny boy seemed to have hardly noticed what had happened, his eyes were so full of lust and desire.

"Bellatrix," Sirius stated soberly, fixing her with a dark glare.

His expression only fueled her excitement. "Well, now," she began, smiling cruelly, pointing her wand towards her half-naked cousin and his lover. "What is this, dearest cousin?" Her grin widened as Remus gathered his bearings and stood beside Sirius with an identical leer on his face. They both had their wands out. Bellatrix paced before the door she had blasted open, carefully keeping an eye on both of their wands. This did not need to turn bloody – not yet. "I bet Auntie Walburga will love to hear about this." She cackled in that crazed fashion she would one day be famous for. "I'm quite sure she never saw this coming, not even from you," Bellatrix continued, looking from Sirius to Remus with increased mirth.

"Fuck off, Bella," Sirius said in a low, dangerous voice, as he raised his wand into a dueling stance. Remus followed suit.

"No need for that, boys," Bellatrix replied, raising her wand as well. "I've only come to see if the rumors were true." She turned as though she were going to leave, before maliciously speaking to Remus alone. "Do take good care of my cousin, boy," she spat cruelly, "The poor orphan will need all the _love _and _comfort_ he can get." She laughed again, exiting the classroom before either boy could say another word to her. She hardly noticed the spell that soared over her head, exploding against the wall on the opposite side of the hall as she swept away.

Sirius was left breathing very heavily, his face contorted in great amounts of rage. His wand was still smoking from the force of the wordless spell he had shot at his heartless cousin. Remus lowered Sirius' arm, trying to calm him, though both boys knew their situation had taken a dire turn. Remus tried not to think about what exactly this relationship was going to cost Sirius as he helped him to button his shirt.

Sirius batted his hand away, his chest heaving. Remus heard him mutter a growling, "Fuck that bitch," before he swung his wand violently at the door Bellatrix had blasted open. It flew shut with a crash, locking into place perfectly. He turned back to Remus, his eyes still a tumultuous, stormy gray, his eyebrows knitted in frustration over them. He reached for Remus roughly, dragging him back into his previous position atop Sirius' thighs. "Don't let her ruin this," he said gruffly, before attaching his lips one more to Remus' neck.

Remus could see no other option but to go along with it. He could never deny Sirius anything he wanted. Especially when what Sirius wanted was him.

**Hope it was all right. There are two more chapters to this story, so if you liked it, please alert it. They are already written and simply need to be edited, so they will be up shortly. Review if you care to! =]**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the second installment. I have upped this story from three chapters to four. Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it. I swear, chapter three is more exciting! Don't give up on me!**

**PART TWO **

When Bellatrix entered her dormitory that night, she was not surprised to see Lucius Malfoy arrogantly lounging across her bed. He was smiling knowingly. She could not stop her eyes from rolling at the sight of him.

"Believe me now?" he asked pompously, sitting up from his relaxed position as Bellatrix neared him.

Ignoring his question, Bellatrix stated dangerously, "I am not so sure how my sister would react to you laying in my bed, Malfoy."

Lucius shrugged. "I'm sure your family has bigger problems to deal with than _my_ love life, thanks."

Bellatrix glared, sitting gracefully upon her bed as far from Lucius as possible, her face showing obvious disgust. She bit the inside of her cheek in thought before deciding that Lucius Malfoy was not the person she wished to discuss this matter with. He was looking at her expectantly, like a dog who knew he had done a good thing. Well, Bellatrix would certainly not be throwing him a bone.

"Would you like to kindly _leave_, now, Malfoy?" Bellatrix inquired, her pitch rising precariously.

With his smug smile still in place, Lucius gracefully slid from her bed and sauntered from her room, closing her door with a sharp click. Again, Bellatrix was left to her thoughts. She knew what she was going to do, and she knew she could not succeed alone. After several minutes, she sent out a spell to summon another of her dearest cousins to her.

* * *

Feeling as though he was being pulled by an invisible string, Regulus Black found himself standing from the Slytherin common room. He knew who had called him before he had taken ten steps. He willingly broke free of the spell and continued the rest of the way to Bellatrix Black's dormitory. He knocked sharply on the door once, not waiting for a reply before twisting the knob and entering.

"Yes, Bellatrix?" he said obediently.

Bellatrix smiled at him sweetly. Regulus had always been her favorite cousin. He had always been so impressionable and obedient. She could almost say she loved him, if love were ever something she were capable of. He came when she called, and he did as she said. He was the opposing force to Sirius in the Black family.

"How are you, Regulus?" she inquired ambiguously.

He nodded towards her once. "Well, Bella."

She smiled again, patting the spot beside her on her bed. He sat.

"I am wondering," Bellatrix began, twirling her wand between her fingers in mock-thought, "when the last time you heard from your brother was." She said it casually, hoping to catch him off guard.

Regulus' nose scrunched unpleasantly at the mention of his brother. "We have not spoken since summer holiday, Bella," he stated forcefully. Clearly, he did not want his cousin thinking he was associating with his disgrace of a brother.

Bellatrix nodded sympathetically, still twirling her wand. "Yes, yes," she murmured. "But when is the last time you heard anything of him?" She rephrased her question, searching for a more useful answer.

"People talk," Regulus replied vaguely with a gentle shrug. "This school adores him," he added, his words thick with disgust.

Abruptly, Bellatrix stood from the bed, brandishing her wand thoughtlessly through the air as she steered the conversation in a new direction. "Regulus," she stated with purpose, "I need your help."

It was the first comment Bellatrix had made that physically surprised Regulus. It was unlike her to ask anyone for help, though they both knew he would be the first person she would ever ask. "With what, Bella?" he inquired curiously.

Her wicked smirk was back in its rightful place as she confided her knowledge in him. "I have quite recently been enlightened to a part of your brother's life I'm quite sure Aunt Walburga will not approve of."

Regulus nodded. He had heard not long ago that his brother was seeing another Gryffindor boy. Lupin, was the boy's name. "I am aware of his relationship, Bella," Regulus admitted, "Though I am not sure that I believe what I've heard."

Bellatrix laid a delicate hand upon Regulus' arm, squeezing tightly. "I've seen them, Regulus," she declared with purpose. "Those despicable rumors are true."

Again, Regulus was physically shocked by Bellatrix's words. He stiffened, his eyes widening in disgust. He seemed speechless. Never once had he imagined any of what he'd heard could be true. His brother, his _flesh and blood_, was intimately involved with another man? It was a _very_ hard pill to swallow. After several seconds of stunned, uneasy silence, Regulus found his voice once more. "What can I do, Bellatrix?"

"Make your brother come home for Christmas this year, cousin. Tell him your dying father wishes it of him."

Regulus nodded sharply. "I'll see to it," he said confidently, before standing to his numbed feet and heading out of the dormitory to process everything he had just learned. From that moment on, looking at Sirius would never be more difficult. And now, he knew he would have to speak with him for the first time in several months, at a time when Regulus would rather do anything else.

* * *

Late that same night, Remus and Sirius lay wrapped in each other's arms on Remus' uncomfortably small four poster bed. Sirius had ignored his cousin's earlier intrusion and what it all meant. He knew this was coming and he was not surprised. Would it fare well for him at home? Of course not. He wished he didn't care as much as he assured Remus he didn't. But the werewolf saw through him. They both knew the next time Sirius faced his family would be a very trying day.

"How soon do you think she'll tell your mother?" Remus asked him after several seconds of heavy silence.

"I'm sure my dear old mum already knows, Rem," Sirius replied somberly.

Remus' forehead crinkled in a frown. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sirius said firmly, holding Remus tighter to his chest. "This is _so _worth it."

"Even what your cousin saw?"

Sirius smirked devilishly. "Especially what my cousin saw." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, dipping his head to plant a wet kiss on Remus' collar bone.

Remus responded with a hoarse chuckle. "Haven't you had enough excitement for one day, Sirius?" he questioned with mock incredulity.

Sirius peered at him sheepishly through his ebony fringe. "No such thing, Rem!" And he ducked in again to attack the werewolf's neck with sloppy, lustful kisses. It did the trick, for soon Remus was digging his nails into Sirius' back, begging for more contact. Sirius willingly obliged.

The next morning – an early Saturday, mind you – Remus and Sirius found themselves being shaken awake by a flustered James Potter. They disentangled themselves unceremoniously.

"What is it, mate?" Sirius asked groggily as he sat upon the edge of Remus' bed, a sheet strewn haphazardly over his midriff.

"Your brother," James stated, his features darkening as the words rolled from his tongue. "He's outside the portrait hole. Says it's urgent that he speaks with you."

Sirius looked at him as though he could not physically process his words. "Are you sure, mate?" he asked, clearly not understanding. Maybe he was so tired that his ears didn't work properly. "My brother and I don't talk, James. You know that."

Remus chose that moment to sit up from the mattress, sharing Sirius' carefully placed sheet. James cringed at the blatancy of their bare sleeping arrangements. He swallowed his discomfort as Remus spoke. "Regulus? Really?"

James knew that Remus had always wanted Sirius to continue some kind of standing relationship with his younger brother. The boy just didn't understand the situation the way James and Sirius did. There was no hope for that little Slytherin sod, no matter what kind of influence Sirius tried to have over him. He was firmly under Bellatrix Black's wing, and that was where he belonged, in Sirius' opinion.

"Yeah, Remus," James replied, looking at him with meaning in his eyes. He needed Remus to get Sirius out there. Sirius needed to figure out what his brother wanted. As much as James despised Regulus Black, if he had come here to speak with Sirius, it must be important. The two brothers had not spoken on school grounds in years. Something big was going on, James could feel it. He knew Remus would understand.

"Come on, Sirius," Remus stated grudgingly, nodding discretely in James' direction. The bespectacled boy left the dormitory, knowing Remus had the situation under control. Not to mention the fact that James was well aware of what was lacking under the sheet Remus was only seconds away from pulling off.

The two boys dressed in silence, both of their minds tied in thought. Sirius could not possibly fathom what his brother could desire of him now. A part of him wondered if Bellatrix had told him what she'd seen. Did that bother him? He didn't want it to, but it twinged at his heart uncomfortably. Would his brother judge him? He was sure of it, but that was not what bothered him. He did not want his brother offending, judging or in any way insulting Remus. Regulus knew nothing about Sirius' boyfriend, and Sirius would have liked to keep it that way. But he knew his brother would make his assumptions, and they would be painful ones.

When both boys were suitably dressed, Remus took a firm hold upon Sirius' hand, leading him out of their shared dormitory.

"No, Rem," Sirius pleaded, his eyes begging in a way only a dog animagus could do so successfully. "I'll go, but I'd rather you not come."

Remus stopped, hurt coating his features. "Are you ashamed of me, Sirius?" he asked soberly.

"No!" Sirius replied hurriedly. "It's nothing like that! It's just that Reg was never a very… open person. He won't accept you."

Remus crossed his arms defiantly, in a manner that reminded Sirius sharply of Evans. "Oh, because he's so accepting of you, Sirius." He spoke the words with such finality. The conversation was over, and Remus was going to join him out of the portrait hole. They would face his brother together and that was that.

Remus never once let go of Sirius' hand as they crossed the common room and exited through the portrait hole. He gave Sirius' hand a sharp squeeze as their eyes simultaneously found Regulus lounging against the wall of the corridor nearby. It nearly took Remus' breath away, seeing the two brothers in such close proximity. Never once had he seen them anywhere near each other. They looked so alike, it was shocking. There was no mistaking their shared blood. It made their great familial rift just that much worse in Remus' eyes.

"Regulus," Sirius stated stiffly, as he dropped Remus' hand and moved to stand closer to his brother.

Regulus nodded in reply, with an equally stiff, "Sirius."

After a few seconds of very tense and very awkward silence, Regulus spoke again. "I'd like to speak to you alone, Sirius," he stated coldly, giving Remus a look that seemed to penetrate his bones. The loathing in those eyes that were carbon copies of Sirius' made Remus' heart stand still.

Immediately, Sirius' demeanor changed. He became angry, protesting violently. "Anything you need to say can be said in front of Remus." The words slid through gritted teeth.

Before the situation could get any worse, Remus interjected. "It's fine, Sirius," he said, placing a soothing hand on Sirius' chest before turning to Regulus. "It was a pleasure," he said sarcastically, nodding his head once before ducking back into the Gryffindor common room.

Still seething, Sirius turned back to his brother. "What is it, Regulus?" he questioned harshly. "This is quite an unexpected visit."

Regulus wasted no time in doing what Bellatrix requested of him. "Father is dying," he stated plainly, as though he were merely speaking of a wilting flower. "He requests that you come home for Christmas this year." His tone was cold and uncaring, clearly stating that he would rather be doing anything but this. "It will likely be his last."

With that, Regulus turned to leave, but Sirius stopped him with a quiet, shocked, "Wait!"

Regulus waited. Sirius gathered his thoughts.

"How long has he been dying?" he questioned, assuming his family had not intended to tell him at all, if his father didn't wish it.

"Since the beginning of term," Regulus replied nonchalantly.

Sirius had expected as much. "Of what?"

"Old age?" Regulus supplied, though they both know what his uncertain tone implied. Their father was dying of some medical complication more than likely caused by the inbreeding of their family line. It was a fate many Blacks in the past had suffered; a fate both brothers knew they may someday face.

Sirius nodded slowly. It shouldn't have been a surprise to him, but it was still so unexpected. He shouldn't be bothered by this knowledge, but the fact that the man responsible for his life – the good and bad parts – was dying stirred something in Sirius' chest. He did, after all, possess a heart the rest of his family lacked. Sirius would mourn his father's death, even after everything the man put him through. It was something a son was obligated to do.

Regulus had begun walking away long before Sirius had come out of his reverie. He stopped just short of the end of the corridor to call Sirius back to reality.

"By the way," he shouted maliciously, "Your boyfriend is _not_ welcome." And with that one last statement, Regulus rounded the corridor and disappeared from sight.

Again, Sirius' spell only barely missed a member of his dear family. His anger had hit a boiling point as he climbed back through the portrait hole to drown himself in Remus. He felt like a large piece of his life had fallen out of place. Or maybe, more correctly, it had fallen into place.

**Next part will be up soon! I hope you enjoyed this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next part! It is entirely in Sirius' POV. The next chapter will be as well. This is kind of the big action chapter here. Enjoy!**

**PART THREE**

The weeks leading up to Christmas break were tumultuous only in Sirius' thoughts. There were no extravagant or even significant events, but his thoughts never seemed to stop. He had fought with himself several times as to whether or not he would heed his father's request and return home for Christmas. He wasn't sure that he could bear to be home for so long. He wasn't sure if he could bear going home at all – not only because he hated to be there, but because he wanted so badly to spend Christmas with Remus.

Remus was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas this year, so his parents could take a much deserved vacation to visit family in France. Outside of his immediate family, no other members knew of his lycanthropy. And the full moon would rise over Christmas break. He was safer at Hogwarts. He insisted with Sirius that he did not mind in the least if Sirius went home. In fact, Remus encouraged him several times to go home and say his goodbyes to his father. Remus and James alone knew that Sirius was not merely indifferent to his father's impending death.

Besides, Peter was staying at school too. Though he wouldn't be much help during the transformation, his company would be welcomed the rest of the holiday. Remus would be fine. And finally, two nights before the train was scheduled to take the students home, Remus convinced Sirius of this fact as well. Sirius would go home.

And two days later, he found himself on the doorstep of 12 Grimmauld Place, awkwardly alongside his brother, with their trunks trailing behind them. They were admitted entrance in a similar fashion to every other arrival. Regulus was smothered in affection, and Sirius was shunned. Just the way he liked it. He snuck past his mother to his room, where he deposited his trunk and took out a thin envelope. It was a goodbye letter from Remus that he had read repeatedly on the train ride home, much to a bored James Potter's dismay. He flopped onto his bed to read it once more.

Not thirty seconds later, his mother was screeching his name.

"Coming mother!" he shouted back angrily, shoving the letter under his pillow as he stormed from his room.

When he reached the kitchen, his mother verbally pounced.

"What are you doing home?" Her tone was accusing, not the happily surprised tone most other parents would use in the event of a surprise visit from their son.

Sirius looked at her quizzically. Certainly, if his father had requested he return home for Christmas, his mother would have known. Why else would he ever come home? Just at that moment, Regulus entered the kitchen.

"I invited him, mother," Regulus said confidently. "To see father before he passes." Walburga Black had turned to face her favored son, smiling as she did so. Sirius took this chance to look at Regulus suspiciously over his mother's shoulder. Regulus had told him his father had requested his presence. The bastard had lied and there was nothing anyone could do to force Sirius to believe that Regulus had done so out of the goodness of his rotten, black heart. There was a reason for this, and Sirius was very wary of what his brother had planned.

Walburga simply gushed over Regulus, cooing that he was always such a good son, always thinking about others first – namely herself and her husband. Apparently, she thought it was so kind of him to think of his father's unspoken wishes and bring Sirius home to see him. After several awkward minutes of watching the sickening scene between his mother and his brother, Sirius turned to leave with a roll of his eyes. But his mother caught him with a tight grip on his arm.

"Oh, no you don't, Sirius," she said harshly. "You will not spend the entire week in your room writing to your bloody Gryffindor friends." She spat the last words like venom. Sirius wrenched his arm from her grip smoothly, facing her angrily. Before he could speak, she cut him off sharply. "You will see your father, as your brother intended. Now."

With a stiff nod, Sirius turned, heading for his father's room. He knocked softly on the door when he reached it, listening for a sign that he should enter. When he heard none, he turned the doorknob gently, easing the door open quietly. His father lay tucked neatly into his bed. His eyes were closed and he looked sickly. Sirius didn't think he would make it through the week. It was a scary sight to see, knowing that one day he may suffer the same fate.

He took a seat in the armchair across the room from where his father's sleeping figure lay wrapped in blankets. He felt incredibly awkward to say the least. He wondered how long he would have to stay in here like this to satisfy his mother. A long time, he figured. Well, that wasn't about to happen, though it was a lot easier to be in here with his father asleep. He was sure to get an earful from him when he woke up. Though Orion Black was never cruel to Sirius in the ways his mother was, Orion specialized in making Sirius feel inferior. He was constantly supplying Sirius with back-handed compliments and sarcastic comments about what Sirius' goals should be and what he should be striving for. Sirius knew he had turned out all wrong in his father's eyes. He knew his father hated that fact. But Orion Black was a passive man. He disapproved from afar, letting his wife deal with punishments.

Fifteen minutes ticked by in agonizing silence. Finally, Sirius decided he had had enough. Yes, he had convinced himself to come home to see his father, but Regulus had lied to him. Sirius had been under the impression that his father had _wanted _to see him, but this was not true – something Sirius should have realized long before now. His father didn't want to see his disappointment of a son, not even on his death bed. Sirius had half a mind to get up and catch the Knight bus back to Hogwarts right then and there. Instead, he returned to his room, settling on his bed. He was agitated. He hated being here – always had. He hated that he hadn't seen through his brother's lie. Right now, he could be cozied up with Remus doing something worth his time. This just wasn't how things were supposed to go.

He reached under his pillow for the letter he had previously stuffed there. He unfolded it carefully, rereading it for the hundredth time. It still made him smile, as he read the letter to himself. He could almost hear Remus' voice speaking the words to him. It was a comfort, but it also succeeded in making Sirius wish he were back at Hogwarts more. He couldn't stand being here! He left the letter placed carefully on his bedside table, deciding a nap before dinner would be ideal. Maybe he'd get lucky and he'd end up sleeping right through the entire holiday.

* * *

Sirius awoke to a nasty sight: Kreacher.

Seeing the house elf quickly erased any dredges of sleep left in Sirius' eyes. "Kreacher!" he cried, making a grab for the house elf as he stood from his bed with rumpled clothes and tangled hair.

Kreacher easily avoided his clutches, prancing his way towards the door. Without a backwards glance, he rasped, "Kreacher's mistress demands young master's presence for dinner."

Sirius rolled his eyes. This was going to be something he did a lot this holiday. He smoothed his clothes and attempted to quickly detangle his hair in a mirror. Neither effort was very successful. With an indifferent sigh, he headed for the kitchen. What ensued was one full hour of his mother's ranting and raving accompanied by Regulus' abnormally smug demeanor. Sirius did his best to ignore them both as he ate the slop Kreacher fed him in silence. It wasn't worth going off about. He just wanted to make it through Christmas; it was only three more days away. Surely he could handle this place for three more days.

Those days passed in a miserable blur for Sirius. He spent the majority of his time in his room, writing letters back and forth with Remus, Peter and James. But letters by owl were slow to reply and the time in between was dreadfully boring. On one occasion, he lay down upon his bed, with his feet braced against the wall and pondered why on earth he had allowed James to talk him into permanently sticking these ridiculous posters onto his wall. He distinctly remembered James claiming that 'all teenage boys did things like this', but Sirius had never really understood it. The half-naked women in these pictures just weren't appealing to him – even back when he bought them. Sirius supposed he had Remus to thank for that.

There were even a few instances where, in his great boredom, Sirius broke out a textbook to do some light reading. He felt like Remus. The feeling made his heart swell with happiness and deflate with yearning. He missed Remus so much. He hated being here just as much. This was such a stupid idea. Every time his mother had forced him to go 'see his father', said father had been sound asleep. As far as Sirius was aware, the man had not woken once since he had arrived home. Maybe he wasn't even really alive. Maybe Walburga was simply giving him the appearance of life until the holiday passed. Sirius knew the rest of his family would actually care to say goodbye. It was all that fierce Black family loyalty – providing you didn't fuck up too badly in anyone's eyes.

Christmas Eve arrived at a slow pace. Walburga had decorated the place with the normal Black decorations. Nothing fancy. In fact, the decorations were hardly noticeable at all – a few strings of green garland and a plain pine tree in the drawing room. Sirius sat quietly in the kitchen away from the rest of the family, sipping a well-deserved firewhiskey. He was now quite sure that coming home for Christmas was a very bad idea. He was miserable, thinking about all the fun he could be having at Hogwarts with Remus. He could hear the noise above him gain strength as more and more of the Black family filed into Grimmauld Place through the fireplace and front door. He could distinctly hear the voices of Lucius Malfoy and his dreadful mother, accompanied by Bellatrix Black and her fiancée Rudolphus Lestrange. The voices of Bellatrix and Rudolphus grew louder. Sirius was sure they were heading down here. This revelation manifested itself as the couple strolled into the kitchens, speaking to each other in rough whispers. The sound made Sirius's spine tingle in the worst way. He looked up. They were all hands and hair and even lips. Sirius thought he might puke at the sight of them.

He cleared his throat loudly, placing his lips back upon his mug. The two intruders did not startle at the noise. They simply looked around at him curiously. Bellatrix pounced on the opportunity.

"Sirius!" she said in mock happiness, "What a surprise!"

Sirius did nothing to acknowledge her as he turned back to his drink. Sirius saw Bellatrix dismiss Rudolphus out of the corner of his eye. Sirius wasn't sure if this improved his situation or not.

Bellatrix came to sit directly next to him. "How have you been, baby cousin?" she asked in a simpering voice.

"Fine, Bellatrix," Sirius said stiffly. He was very proud of how well he was keeping his anger in check. Remus would have approved.

She stood swiftly, as though she had changed her mind about her course of actions. "Well," she said as she headed to the door, smirk in place, "I suppose we're even now." And with that, she left Sirius to himself and his firewhiskey. And that was just fine with him.

Sirius was allowed only a short period of peace. He planned to spend the entire night down here, drinking himself stupid. But his mother had other plans. She stormed down the stairs to the kitchen, grabbing Sirius by his collar.

"Upstairs!" she shouted, forcefully moving him towards the door. "You will greet your family, boy!"

Sirius sighed, breaking his mother's hold on his shirt. He downed the last of his cup and led the way into the drawing room. He entered with his mother on his heels. He nodded to different members of his family as he weaved his way through them, losing Walburga somewhere along the way. Some of them acknowledged him, others didn't. It was well known that Sirius had disgraced the entire family line with his actions at school. Thus far, Sirius could honestly say this was the best encounter he had ever had with so many members of his family in the same room. He found an empty chair in the corner and took a seat. He wished he had another cup of firewhiskey.

For what felt like hours, Sirius didn't move from his seat. His family ignored him and he ignored them. He watched Bellatrix prancing around with her future husband. She kept shooting him disturbing glances, but he ignored her. She wasn't worth his time.

And then… it all blew up. Sirius wasn't even sure what had happened, but suddenly his mother was wrenching him up from his chair by his throat. He spluttered at the contact, surprise lighting his eyes. She was screeching at him, yelling every vile word she could think of. And Sirius didn't even know why.

Then he saw Bellatrix. Her arms were crossed smugly across her chest. She was watching the scene with an excited light in her eyes. Sirius didn't want to believe it, but he knew. He just knew Bellatrix had told his mother. She had hinted at this the night she had intruded upon Remus and himself, but for some ignorant reason, Sirius hadn't even given her threat a second thought. He tried to clear his mind and catch snippets of what Walburga was yelling at him – what he heard confirmed what Bellatrix had done. She had outted him – with the entire family as witness.

"You disgusting little… _homosexual_!" She spat the word like it tasted bad on her tongue. She had managed to brace Sirius against a wall. In a different situation, Sirius would have been amazed at her sudden strength. Sirius towered over her and could have easily outweighed her by 50 pounds. He smacked her arms away from him, hard. She stumbled back, her face bright red with rage. She had a letter in her hand – a letter addressed to Sirius…. From Remus. Sirius inwardly groaned. How could she have found that? Even Walburga may have had a hard time believing what Bellatrix told her about her eldest son, but she had raw proof right at her fingertips. She didn't need Bellatrix's testimony.

Regulus stood beside Bellatrix, his arms crossed in a similar fashion. It all came together – the reason why Regulus had lied to get him to come home, the reason Kreacher had been sneaking in his room a few days past. His own brother had conspired against him, using his pathetic house elf to steal evidence that confirmed Sirius' relationship. From Bellatrix, Sirius had expected this, but he had never once believed the rift between himself and his brother had grown so irreparable. He looked at the pair angrily, furious that they had done this to him; furious that they were so happy about it.

Then he turned back to his mother, she was still screaming, waving the letter in front of his face. "Out of my house!" she shouted, spit flying from her lips in her rage. "No son of mine! No bloody _son of mine_!" she repeated over and over as Sirius ripped the letter from her hands and tore out of the room. He did not, however, miss the angry spell his mother shot over his shoulder. It landed perfectly on her great Family Tree Tapestry. He did not need to watch his name burned away. He already knew it was, and his inheritance was lost. He could not have cared less at that very moment.

Into his room, he stormed, grabbing all of the possessions within reach. He threw them all haphazardly into his trunk before slamming it shut with a loud, low boom. Remus' letter was now crushed safely into his pocket and his wand was out. Underaged magic be damned. He would fight his way from this house if he had to. He levitated his trunk behind him, turned to his door.

"Well, well, ickle cousin," Bellatrix said, cackling maliciously as she strolled into Sirius' room and took a proud seat on his bed. "You've gone and made mummy and daddy _so proud_ now." The mirth was in her lips, her eyes, every movement of her body. She was enjoying herself intensely. Sirius was disgusted.

"I swear it, Bella," Sirius began, his voice dangerously low, "Get out of my way or I _will _make you."

Bellatrix cackled again. "I won't stand in your way, cousin. It's all worked out perfectly." Her smile made her look deranged. "But shouldn't you say goodbye to your dear brother?" Her tone was mocking, her face a perfect reflection of her voice.

Sirius tried not to let the mention of Regulus bother him, but he felt so betrayed by his brother. _So betrayed. _He took an unnoticeably deep breath, pushing past Bellatrix forcefully. He stormed down the stairs, his trunk floating behind him. Some of his family watched him go, sneering and commenting on what they had all just learned. Sirius did everything he could to ignore them. At least there were no curses being thrown at him. It must be his family's version of Christmas spirit. Whispers of disgrace and a family name soiled followed him all the way to the front door. He slammed it closed behind him with a great amount of force. The sound reverberated in the deserted street. Immediately, Sirius threw out his wand hand.

**Hope you liked it! Again, I have extended this story a bit more. There will now be five chapters. I do NOT plan on making it any longer than that, and this time I mean it. =] Things will start to look up soon! Please review, or at least alert the story if you're enjoying it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, here's the next part. There is one more chapter in this story after this. I suppose this chapter could be considered the 'falling action'. It is entirely Sirius' POV. Enjoy!**

**PART FOUR**

The ride on the Knight Bus was long, exhausting and terribly boring. In the seconds Sirius had from throwing out his hand to the moment in which the Knight Bus arrived, he had only barely begun to register what had just happened. He pushed past the teenager greeting him onto the bus, shoving a handful of Galleons at the driver. Without a second thought, he gave the driver the location of the Potter Manor as his desired destination. He took a secluded seat towards the back of the large, purple bus, not wishing to attract attention. The ride was one long brooding session. As much as he wanted to push the events of the night from his mind, flashes of them would not stop appearing before his eyes. He just wanted to get to James'. He wanted to confide in his best mate – tell him everything and in turn, be told that everything would be all right – even if it wouldn't.

Witches and wizards boarded and exited the Knight Bus for what felt like hours. When finally, the driver pulled up to the gate that was so familiar to Sirius, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was more than happy to get off of this bus. He grabbed his trunk, nodded to the driver, and exited the vehicle swiftly. It wasn't until he had reached the door that he realized how incredibly rude it was of him to arrive at the Potter Manor unannounced on Christmas Eve. He could hear voices inside. There were clearly several Potters here. Sirius was lucky James' parents hadn't decided to go away for the holiday. If that had been the case, he would have been truly stranded. Heaving another great sigh, Sirius resigned to knock on the door and simply explain his dire reasons for crashing Mrs. Potter's Christmas Eve party. Surely, she would understand.

He knocked loudly, stepping back to await a greeter. The door opened, revealing two wizened faces he did not recognize. Assuming they were some distant family of James', Sirius greeted them kindly. He smiled warmly, inquiring about James' current location. The two women nodded at him softly, turning from the doorway in search of James. Sirius let himself in, setting his trunk next to the door. He vaguely wondered if he looked as shitty as he felt.

It took nearly no time for James to arrive at the front door. His great aunt had informed him that some 'dark haired hoodlum' was looking for him. He was curious to see who this stranger was. He was shocked to realize that it wasn't a stranger at all.

"Sirius!" he shouted, coming up to his best mate, confusion contorting his face. That look alone confirmed Sirius' earlier suspicions about his appearance.

"Hey, James," Sirius tried to sound casual. He was worried his voice might break as his defenses rapidly fell. "Mind if I, ah, stay the holiday?" He fiddled with the hem of his shirt awkwardly. He wasn't quite sure how to tell his best mate what exactly had transpired earlier that night.

James nodded, beckoning Sirius to follow him up the main staircase. Sirius lugged his trunk behind him slowly. When they reached the safety of James' bedroom, the bespectacled boy turned a concerned expression in Sirius' direction.

"Christmas didn't go as well as you planned, yeah?" James asked in the most casual voice he could muster. The look on Sirius' face screamed rejection.

Sirius shook his head before lowering it to his hands. James sat next to him, laying an awkward hand on Sirius' shoulder. He was sure the boy would not cry, but the comforting gesture seemed necessary all the same. "Wanna tell me about it?" James asked gently.

Lifting his head, Sirius nodded. He knew, if he wished to spend the holidays here – and possibly every holiday until graduation – he would need to explain the details of his situation to James and his parents, though he was sure he could skip the specifics with the latter. After a brief pause in which Sirius gathered himself, he launched into the tale of Bellatrix and Regulus and his mother's rage and his own disowning. He explained how Remus had been dragged into it, but that it wasn't his fault. He begged James to keep this between the two of them. He could not let Remus feel responsible. James swore to oblige. When Sirius was too tired – both physically and emotionally – to say another word, he simply looked at James sorrowfully.

"Well," James said, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily, "You know you're always welcome here. Mum loves you. She'd probably prefer you to live here than at your house anyways." He smiled broadly. "Summer holiday will be great with you around all the time."

At this, Sirius finally cracked a grin. James slung a friendly arm around his shoulder, steering him out of the bedroom. "C'mon," James said lightly, "I've got a great aunt I know will just _love _you. She's got a thing for long, black hair." With a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, James was bounding down the stairs back into the midst of the party. Sirius followed at a slower pace. He decided to put the earlier events out of his mind – at least for now. It was Christmas Eve, and he was finally where he wanted to be. He wasn't going to let his wretched family ruin anything else for him. Not today, not ever.

In the early hours of Christmas Day, Mrs. Potter organized a bedroom for Sirius to sleep in, encouraging him to stay as long as he needed, whenever he needed. Sirius had not yet had the time to explain to her that he would never again be going home. She left the room, smoothing the bedcover one last time with a benevolent smile on her face. Not even two minutes after her departure, James snuck in. He had a knowing smile on his face and an owl perched on his arm.

"I thought you might want to owl Moony," he said, shaking the owl off of him and onto Sirius's nightstand before taking a seat next to his best mate.

Sirius grinned, practically emitting appreciation through his skin. He stroked the owl gently from his spot upon the bed Mrs. Potter had just spent so much time making for him. "Thanks, James," he said sincerely.

James nodded and stood, heading back out the way he came. "'Night, Sirius."

Sirius lifted a hand in farewell. As soon as the door snapped shut, he turned to his trunk and dug around for a quill and parchment. Talking to Remus was exactly what Sirius wanted to do at that moment, even if it would be a slow reply.

_Remus,_

_ I thought I'd let you know that I'm spending the remainder of the holiday at James'. Things didn't work out as well as I know you wanted them to with the family. But it's all right. It's not important. I'm attaching your gift. I hope you like it. This poor owl's got a heavy load. I miss you, Rem. I wanted to come back to school to spend Christmas with you, but I needed to come here. I'm sure you've guessed that I won't be returning to Grimmauld Place again. I think James' mum will like to have me around for the holidays though. She'll really have her hands full, of course. Happy Christmas, Rem. _

_ Love, _

_ Sirius_

Feeling satisfied with what he'd written, Sirius tied the parchment to the owl with his gift for Remus. Giving it one last stroke, he opened the window across the room. "Make sure he sends me something back!" Sirius called as the white owl swooped gracefully into the night. He watched it fade into the darkness, his heart lighter than it had been since he'd left Hogwarts.

The next morning arrived faster than Sirius liked to admit. He enjoyed his sleep, even on Christmas morning. The Potters, however, did not seem to share Sirius' enthusiasm for his bed. James was up at the crack of dawn – though he'd only gone to bed a few hours earlier – and he would be damned if Sirius were allowed to sleep any longer with a pile of presents under the tree. Sirius rolled out of bed groggily at James' repetitive insistence. It was easier to join him then try to resist him when he was so bloody excited. He still acted like a seven-year-old on Christmas morning. Sirius wished Lily could see this.

Sirius stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes furiously as he shuffled into the living room. Mrs. Potter was beaming at him from her armchair next to the Christmas tree. James was digging into his pile of presents like it was his sole purpose in life to reach the bottom. Sirius would have chuckled if he wasn't so tired. Mr. Potter was nowhere to be found, but the smell of eggs told Sirius exactly where he was and what he was doing. Mrs. Potter beckoned Sirius forward, holding out a steaming mug of tea. He drank it thankfully.

"We sent your present to your house," she said, smiling brightly, "but the owl seemed to realize you weren't there and turned back halfway. He's just arrived, actually." She patted the family owl affectionately, not realizing the bird had actually flown to Hogwarts and back last night. It must have arrived at some point in time during the party last night, delivering Sirius' present before resting wherever it was that James had found it.

Sirius smiled. "You didn't have to," he said honestly – something he told her every Christmas in his Thank You letter he sent her from Hogwarts. He set down his mug, taking a seat on the floor beside James. Mrs. Potter only smiled, waving her wand at the pile of presents before James. A few parcels flew over his head to rest at Sirius' feet. The boy shared a knowing look with the woman before both rolled their eyes at James' behavior. He did not seem to have noticed Sirius until his mother sent a few of 'his' presents flying away.

"Hey, Siri," he said casually, ripping open another package in the process. The boy could have filled a bathtub with the amount of sweets he'd received. "I think Remus sent you something."

Sirius' heart skipped a beat. He saw the small package with Remus' neat and tidy handwriting on it. It was the perfect size to slip into his pocket. He was not sure if he wanted to open this in front of James' mother. Merlin only knew what might be inside.

Slowly, Sirius peeled back the bright colored paper of the present he knew was from James. Inside was a piece of cloth with moving pictures of bludgers flying every which way. When Sirius lifted them out of the box properly, he saw that they were actually boxers. Well, that was a relief. He wasn't sure how excited he'd be to wear a shirt like that around Hogwarts. It'd make everyone dizzy just looking at it. Under the boxers was a Quidditch magazine with a picture of the seeker from the Holyhead Harpies doing an amazing dive for the snitch, over and over. Sirius rolled his eyes. This woman was James' secret love interest. Maybe he'd slipped the magazine into the box by mistake.

"Thanks mate," he said, clapping James on the back to make sure he heard him. When James looked up from his mountain of sweets, Sirius held up the presents James had given him.

James grinned, peering at the boxers fondly. "Welcome," he said, "And I got you a year's subscription to that magazine. Could be interesting," he finished with a shrug. Sirius smiled. James had just pulled his present out of the pile. Sirius wondered whether he should cover his ears.

As James pulled the paper off of the thin parcel and removed its top, he gave a loud whoop of excitement. "Tickets to see the Harpies!" he shouted, standing from the floor to envelop Sirius in an incredibly unmanly hug. "Bloody brilliant!"

Sirius shrugged at Mr. Potter as he entered from the kitchen to see what James was screaming about. He shook his head before returning to the kitchen. "Two tickets, mate," Sirius explained when James had taken his seat on the floor once more. "Take whoever you like." James punched him, muttering something about Sirius being a 'stupid git' for thinking he'd want to take anyone else but him. Sirius chuckled. The next present James lunged for resulted in an even more comical reaction. It was Remus' present, which Sirius had helped pick out. It was a pair of boxers identical to the ones James had bought for Sirius, except that they had snitches zooming all over them. James positively beamed with happiness. It was just the sort of thing James would love, making the fact that James had bought Sirius a similar pair just that much more entertaining.

After a few moments of beaming, James said quietly to Sirius, "Shouldn't you be jealous that your boyfriend is giving me underwear for Christmas?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, smiling slyly. Sirius made a playful swing at him, catching him in the ear. James shrunk away, holding his ear defensively. "Git," he muttered as he shoved one last package at Sirius. "It's from Mum and Dad," he informed. James didn't seem to know what it was.

Sirius opened it carefully, turning just far enough from James that he couldn't see it. Inside, he found tickets to the exact same Quidditch match he had bought for James. He and Mrs. Potter laughed simultaneously.

"Great minds think alike," she said from her armchair. Sirius nodded in agreement.

"We can bring Pete and Remus now," Sirius said, finally showing James what the Potters had gotten him. James looked outraged.

He turned to his mother, "You bought _him_ tickets to see the Harpies and not me? Ridiculous!"

Sirius and Mrs. Potter laughed harder. "Well," she said in her defense, "I assumed he would bring you."

"You should never leave something as important as this to an assumption," James reprimanded, "Besides, he'd definitely bring Remus, just to spite me." Sirius smiled sheepishly.

"I guess it's a good thing we have four tickets then, isn't it?" he concluded.

It wasn't until later that night, after two delicious, hearty meals and a long conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Potter about the specific details of Sirius' situation that he was given the chance to open Remus' gift. It was with a light heart that he did so, having just received a loving hug and several assurances that the Potters would 'positively _love_' to add him to the family.

He peeled the plain, brown paper back carefully, as he sat upon his new bed in his new bedroom. He was careful not to rip the paper in any places. When the neat, unfolded square of paper lay beside him, he took the cover from the thin package. Inside was a perfectly folded piece of parchment. He lifted the letter from the box, placing it aside to peer at what was below it. It looked like… a mirror. He was confused now. Maybe, it would be best to read Remus' letter first. Like the paper on the package, he opened the letter very carefully.

_Sirius,_

_ That bloody owl of yours won't leave until I give it your present. I bet you told him to do that, didn't you? Well, I opened yours when it arrived. I couldn't help myself. I loved it, Sirius, I really did. I'd ask where you got all those pictures from, but I'm not sure if I really want to know. I remember James or Peter taking some of them, but others… Are you stalking me, Mr. Black?_

_ I'm so sorry about your family, Siri. We'll talk when you get back. This isn't exactly the right way to discuss the matter. Just know that I love you and your family never deserved you in the first place. The Potters are lucky people, but yes, Mrs. Potter will certainly have her hands full with both you and James for a whole summer. Please don't destroy her house, at the very least. _

_ I'm sure that you've looked at your present by now. You always open the present before the card, no matter how many times I try to explain proper etiquette to you. And you call yourself a 'well-mannered Pureblood'! I don't believe it. Well, yes, it's a mirror. But it's not just a mirror. Look into it and say my name. Go ahead, try it. Love you, Padfoot._

_ Moony_

Sirius put the letter down, suddenly feeling giddy. With a great smile on his lips, he grasped the mirror from its packaging. "Remus Lupin!" he cried into it. Suddenly the mirror reflected what looked like a red blanket or curtain of some sort. "Remus?" Sirius called timidly, wondering if the mirror had been broken on its way to him.

Then he heard something. It sounded like… Peter?

"Oy, Remus! Sirius finally opened your present!"

"Peter?" Sirius asked as the plump boy picked up the mirror from its resting place that Sirius now assumed had been Remus' bed.

"Hey, Sirius," Peter waved in greeting, grinning. "Remus just jumped into the shower. He's been carrying this bloody mirror around all day waiting for you to use yours." Sirius peered at him sheepishly. "Figures, you'd finally open it the one time Remus puts it down." He chuckled.

Sirius shrugged. "I didn't have much free time. I didn't know what it was." He paused looking at Peter slyly. "You could always just… slide me into the bathroom, you know."

Peter laughed. "No need," he said, "He's right here," Peter turned the mirror. Sirius could see Remus, fully dressed in his pajamas, toweling his hair down. His breath caught in his throat. It felt like forever ago that he and Remus had last seen each other.

"Hey, Sirius," Remus said, beaming at him as he grabbed the mirror away from Peter. "How are you?"

Sirius hadn't quite found his voice yet. After several seconds of silence, he blurted out, "This is bloody brilliant, Remus!" Remus laughed.

"I thought you'd like it." Sirius nodded profusely. "Go get James," Remus continued, "I'd like to say thank you for his lovely present." Again Sirius nodded. He dropped his mirror to the bed, calling for James loudly as he walked to his door. A few seconds later, both boys reappeared in the mirror. "Hey, James!" they heard Peter call from the background of Remus' mirror as a pudgy hand appeared from behind Remus' head.

"Hey, guys," James said, looking at the mirror quizzically. "Is this safe, Sirius?" James asked, his mind immediately jumping to pictures of that Dark Lord everyone was so afraid of getting a hold of the mirror. For his comment, he earned another punch in the ear. He shook his head at Sirius. He never understood _why_ he always went for his bloody ears!

Remus smiled rolling his eyes at the black-haired boys. "Thanks for the chocolate, James."

James' entire demeanor changed. "Anytime, Rem. What is this thing anyways?" He had flipped the mirror over to inspect the back of it, allowing Remus and Peter to see nothing but a bedspread.

"It's a two-way mirror," Remus replied, as James righted his mirror again. "Say the name of the person in possession of the other one, and you'll be able to communicate." He waved his arm, indicating the conversation they were having at that very moment. James nodded, his facial expression betraying his silence. Remus knew he was plotting. As James opened his mouth to speak, Remus cut him off. "Yes, James, you can borrow it," he paused as a devilish smile graced James' lips. "BUT that does NOT mean you can sneak it into Lily's dormitory!" Immediately, James' face fell.

Sirius laughed openly, grabbing the mirror away from James. "Can I sneak it into your dormitory, Mr. Lupin?" he asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Remus' only response was a small chuckle and an exasperated shake of his head. "Well," Sirius said loudly, hoping Peter could hear him as well. "I'd like to speak with my boyfriend privately now. So… James, Peter, bugger off!"

"All right, all right," James said, backing out of the room. He peeked over his shoulder to shout a quick gratitude at Remus for the snitch boxers. Again, Remus laughed.

At Sirius' insistence, Remus turned the mirror to show him that Peter had indeed descended the stairs into the Common Room. When Sirius was satisfied that no one was listening in on their conversation, he spoke in a solemnly serious voice.

"I'll get to visit you a lot more during holiday now," he shrugged trying and failing to manage a genuine smile. He knew he could let his guard down to Remus, if no one else. He knew Remus understood. He wouldn't be pitied by Remus, but he would be comforted. That was all he wanted.

Remus lay back on his bed, levitating the mirror over him so he didn't have to hold it. His brows knitted together in thought. He knew Sirius was trying to be tough, but he also knew what Sirius wanted. "You know you're better off now, Sirius," he said, lowering his voice in a comforting gesture. "You don't have to be subjected to their abuse anymore. And you'll fit in perfectly with the Potters." He offered Sirius a small smile.

"I know, Rem," Sirius's defenses were stretched thin. "But you should have seen her. She had me against a wall by my neck. I think, had the whole family not been there, that she would have killed me." Remus did not doubt it.

"Isn't it just that much better now that you don't have to deal with any of that?" Remus reasoned, "I know they're your blood, but blood doesn't make a family. They have never been a family to you." Sirius nodded. As always, Remus was right and there was no denying it.

"Regulus was in on it," he said suddenly, realizing he had not shared this piece of information with Remus previously. "He and Bellatrix were in on this together. That's why Regulus asked me to come home. They planned this." His voice broke and he stopped. His own brother had him disowned. It was worse than anything else. Just admitting it out loud made it feel ten times worse. Remus was silent, having no idea what to say. He had no siblings, but even if he did, he didn't think he'd understand the betrayal Sirius was feeling from Regulus at that very moment. Remus vowed, silently to himself, to get revenge. For Sirius. Sirius was far too rash, but Remus was careful and clever. They would never know he had done a thing.

"Just sleep, Siri," Remus said gently. "Sleep and we'll talk again tomorrow. I'll see you in just a few days." He smiled warmly. "I love you."

"Love you too, Rem."

**Okay, there you have it! In case there's any confusion, Sirius' gift to Remus was a photo album. Andddddd... the final chapter should be out over the next few weeks. I'm still tweaking it to make it exactly what I want it to be. Thanks for sticking by me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter begins Remus' revenge plot. The remainder of this story will be in Remus' POV. I have extended this story to six chapters because the revenge plot was just too long to be one chapter. I apologize in advance for the scene switching. Enjoy it!**

**PART FIVE**

Sirius and James returned to Hogwarts with the rest of the students who had holidayed at home. Remus awaited their arrival anxiously. He had spoken to Sirius several times through their two-way mirrors, but mirrors didn't allow hugs. Remus missed his boyfriend. The holiday had been long and lonely without Sirius for company. Peter preferred James' company and frankly, he tended to get on Remus' nerves. Remus never was very patient with people who could not comprehend very simple concepts.

Aside from this, Remus wanted to see Sirius because he wanted to truly comfort him. He wanted to hug him and hold him; kiss his cheeks and truly make everything feel all right. The two-way mirrors couldn't compete with a hug from a disgruntled Sirius Black.

Remus waited patiently in the dormitory for James and Sirius to arrive. Peter waited in the Common Room, intent on being the first person James spoke to when he arrived. Remus wanted to watch out the window for any hint of straggly black hair, but he refrained. Sirius would get there when he got there. Not long after acknowledging this fact, Remus began to pace. A sudden bustle below alerted him to the Gryffindor arrivals. Remus struggled desperately to hide his large smile. When he forced himself to sit on his bed and wait patiently, his leg bounced merrily of its own accord.

Minutes later, the door opened slowly. A mane of black hair peered sheepishly around the doorframe, a large smile firmly in place.

"Hey, Rem."

And that was all it took to break Remus' self-control. He bounded across the room in three large strides, wrapping Sirius in a very tight hug. He pulled the boy into the room, allowing the door to shut behind him. He nuzzled deep into Sirius' neck, drinking him in deeply.

"I've missed you so much," Remus mumbled as Sirius chuckled at his reaction. Remus felt the laughter vibrate through Sirius' chest and throat. The feeling was pleasant.

"You were just speaking with me half an hour ago, Rem," Sirius revealed mirthfully. "How can you possibly miss me already?"

Remus pulled away from the warm body enveloping him far enough to look Sirius in his grey eyes. "A mirror isn't warm, Sirius," he said soberly. "I can't touch you through a mirror." A light silence fell over the two boys as they stared deep into each other's eyes, trying to quell their emotions while simultaneously expressing them. In a few minutes time, they may have wept with the power of it all. They were flooded with love and security as well as fear and unease.

But Sirius stopped it all. He refused to allow such a perfect moment to be ruined by silly emotions. It made him feel like Evans. "I love you, Remus," he said, pulling the boy back against his chest. "Don't ever think otherwise." And Remus smiled, leading Sirius away from the doorway; leading Sirius to the comfort of his recently vacated bed. He would show Sirius just how hard it would be to forget his love.

* * *

Term started slowly. Their work load was ridiculous, as if anything else could be expected. Sirius and James slacked, Peter got very far behind in record time, and Remus plotted his revenge. He had worked out exactly what he would do to Regulus while still on holiday. It would be comical and virtually harmless. After all, Regulus was merely Bellatrix Black's pawn. Remus knew it and so did Sirius, deep down. In the second week of the term, Regulus Black sported a glorious set of puss-filled boils across his face. They were painful and absolutely disgusting to look at, but they healed quickly with the help of Madame Pomfrey. However, Remus had added his own twist to the spell. The boils healed, yes, but they left behind shallow pockmarks. Regulus looked as though he had recently suffered a horrible bout of acne that had scarred his face. There was nothing Madame Pomfrey could do for him. Remus smiled every time Regulus walked by him in the hallway.

It was how he planned to get back at Bellatrix that had been causing him problems in the weeks after term started. He needed to get her good, but he didn't know how. She was strutting around the school like she owned the place, never missing an opportunity to sneer at Remus and grin smugly at Sirius. She was truly enjoying what she had done. Knowing this made Remus more determined to ruin her. She would pay dearly for what she chose to do to Sirius. Remus would make sure of it.

Remus was lucky enough to be eavesdropping on a conversation in the library that gave him all he needed to get Bellatrix Black. He was sitting at a plain wooden table in the middle of the library. He found himself here less and less. It seemed that he could only gain access to the library when Sirius was otherwise occupied. At this moment in time, he was at Quidditch practice. Remus was thankful for the break. Not long into his studying, a pair of Hufflepuffs he knew – strangely because they were always talking to Peter – sat at a table close by. Remus was very uninterested in their presence until a certain name slipped off one of their tongues.

The blond girl – Remus believed her name was Maryann – had mentioned something about Bellatrix. Remus perked up immediately. Hiding behind his books, he listened closely to their conversation.

Maryann leaned in closely towards her companion, "She's sleeping with him," she said in hushed tones, "Merlin, I saw it, Debbie. In that same classroom we saw Lupin and Sirius in last semester. I could have vomited." Remus blanched at this comment – clearly these girls had no idea who was sitting so close. But what were they talking about? When had they seen Sirius and himself? What had they seen? It was all rather disturbing. He shook the thoughts from his mind, turning his focus back on their conversation.

Debbie looked horrified at Maryann's information in a way only two girls gossiping could look. Her eyes widened dramatically, one of her hands floating to cover the 'o' shape her mouth had formed. "Isn't he set to marry her sister?"

"Yes!" Maryann exclaimed.

Debbie put a finger to her mouth in a shushing gesture. "Do you want Madame Pince to come over?" she hissed at her companion. Maryann shook her head. After a few seconds of silence in which both girls inspected their surroundings for the librarian, Debbie spoke. "Are you sure it was her, Maryann?"

Maryann looked incredulous. "How can you possibly accuse me of mistaking Bellatrix Black? She's not exactly ordinary looking." Debbie agreed silently.

"This is big, Maryann," she said quietly, "What do we do? Bellatrix would certainly hurt us if we told anyone. Not to mention what Lucius might do."

"We'll keep it to ourselves then," Maryann concluded. "We won't discuss this with anyone."

Remus highly doubted that last comment, but this was all the information he needed. He tuned the girls out as the cogs whirled in his mind. He knew just how to get Bellatrix Black back for what she had done. It was perfect.

* * *

Over the next month or so, Remus concocted his plan. Thus far, it was going very well. He had – surprisingly – brewed an excellent Polyjuice Potion, without any outside aid. He successfully concealed it in the Room of Requirement. It was a necessity for the arrangement of his scheme. He had decided very quickly after working out the details of what he planned to do that he would be doing it alone. He could not risk Sirius' involvement, as the boy was undeniably a hot-head. He did not want to bring James or Peter into it because Peter was certain to tell James, and James was certain to tell Sirius. It had to be done alone, and honestly, Remus did not so much mind that fact. He always found that he worked better alone anyways. No disruptions, no suggestions. That was how he liked to do things.

He had decided after listening to Maryann and Debbie's conversation, that he would catch Bellatrix Black with Lucius Malfoy. He really was an excellent Marauder. He had been watching them carefully over the past weeks. They certainly spent much of their time together and Remus had unfortunately witnessed just how they spent their time first hand on more than one occasion. (They really weren't discrete.) Remus saw how cold Bellatrix was to Lucius. He saw how Lucius practically begged for Bellatrix's approval. It was all quite sickening. Lucius either couldn't see that he was being used, or he was in denial of that fact. Remus had easily learned their schedule of 'meetings'. Bellatrix's betrothed, Rodolphus Lestrange was being tutored for his abysmal skill in potions every Tuesday evening by Professor Slughorn. It was on these nights that Bellatrix and Lucius snuck off together. Remus could not be sure, but he would have guessed with confidence that Bellatrix always brought Lucius to the exact classroom in which she had discovered Sirius because it gave her some sort of sick pleasure. He was sure – or at least he hoped – the pair had been more discrete about their doings before Sirius had been outted. Now, it seemed, Bellatrix had become arrogant. She thought she was untouchable. But Remus was adamant.

Luckily enough, the sessions between these two Slytherins always happened simultaneously with Gryffindor Quidditch practice. Remus was easily able to follow the pair under the invisibility cloak he borrowed from James while he was busy elsewhere. Always, they went to the same room at roughly the same time. After four weeks of laying witness to the ungodly actions of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black, Remus felt quite confident – not to mention, mildly sickened – that his plan could be set into motion. The Polyjuice potion was ready and he knew he could convince Rodolphus to skip his potions tutoring for one week if suspicions of his fiancée were to reach him from a trusted source. And a trusted source was exactly what Remus planned to become.

Rodolphus Lestrange had a younger brother, Rabastan. Rabastan was in the same year as Remus, Sirius and James. He was not only the perfect person to convince Rodolphus of his fiancée's disloyalty, but he was an easy target from whom to gain a sample for the Polyjuice Potion. The Slytherins and Gryffindors shared Herbology class. For the first time ever, Remus was glad to hear Professor Sprout declare that she was still trying to put a stop to the Gryffindor and Slytherin rivalry – at least in her class. As she had done since term began, she paired one Gryffindor with one Slytherin and set them to work on Venomous Tentaculas together. Sirius and James were outraged as ever. For once, their charm could not sway a professor. Realizing they were fighting a losing battle again, they resigned to complaining violently. James' anger topped the Slytherins' when he was paired with Severus Snape. Remus wasn't sure who was going to get bit by the plant first, but he was sure that both boys were trying to ensure that it was the other. Sirius was paired with a distant cousin of his named Rosier. Remus patted his arm sympathetically, waiting to be assigned to a Slytherin. He had hoped that one of his friends would end up with Rabastan, making his life just that much easier, but there was no such luck.

Remus couldn't believe his ears when he himself was paired with Rabastan. What he needed to do had just gotten ten times easier. Rabastan came to sit next to him, grumbling about 'this bullshit' Professor Sprout had forced them into. Remus smiled kindly at him as they got to work on their Tentaculas. After several minutes of awkward silence, Remus decided some friendly conversation might help him in his plan.

He cleared his voice casually. "So," he began awkwardly, "What other classes are you taking?" Rabastan merely grunted in response. Remus decided to try again. "Are you still taking Astronomy?" he questioned, knowing the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had Astronomy together on Thursday nights. He was sure, but not positive that Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had it on Monday nights. He needed to be sure. When he spoke with Rodolphus, it was pertinent that Rabastan be otherwise occupied.

Rabastan nodded gruffly. Remus smiled. "That's on Monday nights, right?" he asked in as casual a voice as he could muster. Again, Rabastan nodded. Remus could tell the boy was getting annoyed. With a satisfied smile, Remus returned to their work.

Halfway through class, he subtly prodded the Tentacula he and Rabastan were working on with his wand. The plant recoiled from his wand, its tentacles shooting out in all directions in anger. Remus backed away quickly, but Rabastan didn't seem to have noticed what had happened. The Venomous Tentacula was quick to wrap itself around his arm. The entire class fell silent at the sound of Rabastan's disgruntled yell. It only took a few seconds for the greenhouse to explode in confusion as Slytherins ran to Rabastan's aid, yelling profanities at the Gryffindors for what they had done to him. Of course, no one really knew it was Remus' fault.

Through the mess of Slytherins, Remus was easily able to yank a decent-sized chunk of Rabastan's hair out. He stuffed it into his pocket and out of sight quickly. Class was ended early. Remus was relieved as he, Sirius, James and Peter made their way back to the castle after that disaster. Remus' fellow Marauders were none the wiser to what he had done.

The rest of the week passed quickly. Remus was excited and nervous. Everything would either fall apart or fall into place Monday night when he transformed himself (in a whole new way) and spoke with Rodolphus. The closer Monday night came, the more Remus found himself wanting to tell Sirius. He knew the boy was suspicious. Remus was spending a lot of time out of the Gryffindor tower. Maybe Sirius deserved to know, as long as he realized he could not interfere.

It was Sunday, and Remus and Sirius lounged in bed until the sun was high in the sky. Remus decided he would inform Sirius of his plans today. They were set and there was nothing Sirius could possibly do to ruin them or dissuade Remus. There was no harm in telling him now.

"Sirius," Remus began, rolling over to face his lover. "I've got a confession to make."

Sirius smiled deviously. "Lemme guess," he said, mirth lacing his words. "You wanna have sex again?" He raised his eyebrows in a suggestive – if not hopeful – manner. Remus laughed.

"Not exactly, Siri," he replied shaking his head at Sirius' antics. "I've been planning something."

Sirius perked right up. Leaning on his elbow for support, he looked at Remus with wide eyes. "Are you Marauding on your own, Mr. Lupin? I am so proud!" He grinned cheekily. "Who are we pranking?" he asked enthusiastically.

Remus put out a finger to silence Sirius. "_You _are not pranking anyone, Sirius," he said forcefully, "I am merely… getting revenge." He smiled at the sound of it. He liked it; it made him sound powerful.

Sirius lifted an eyebrow. "Getting revenge for what?"

Remus took a deep breath before delving into all the crevices of his plan. He told Sirius everything from the conversation he heard in the library a month ago to following Bellatrix and Malfoy while Sirius and James were at Quidditch practice. He even admitted to being behind the disastrous Herbology class the previous week. (Sirius, of course, swore he already knew that last bit.)

When he was finished, Sirius stayed silent for several seconds, processing everything. "This is brilliant, Remus!" he shouted suddenly. "How the hell did you come up with this all on your own?"

Remus looked indignant. "You underestimate me, you know."

Sirius shook his head, chuckling quietly. "I don't mean it like that. I mean, how did you do this all right under my nose? I knew you were up to something, but this is big, Rem. Really big."

Remus smiled sheepishly. "I didn't want you to interfere," he said honestly.

"Can I at least be there when Rodolphus finds them? I want to see the look on Bellatrix's bloody face." His eyes seemed to glaze as if he were imagining the scene. Whatever he saw in his mind brought a large, sloppy grin to his face.

"I suppose that can't hurt," Remus admitted. "But as for the rest of it, I'm doing it alone, Sirius."

Sirius held up his hands in defense. "Okay, okay," he said before pulling Remus against him, kissing him hard on the lips. "You are amazing, you know that?"

Remus laughed. "Yeah," he replied, "I've been waiting all these years for you to realize it." What ensued seemed to fit Sirius' original guess as to what Remus had to confess to him. Remus was glad to have finally let Sirius in on his plan. He was even happier to know that Sirius approved of it. It gave him a light heart as Sunday languidly melted into Monday.

* * *

Sirius insisted on joining Remus in the Room of Requirement where he was set to turn into Rabastan Lestrange. Remus said no repeatedly, but that never had worked very well on Sirius. With a heavy sigh, Remus gave up. Though he made a point to firmly tell Sirius that he would most definitely jinx him if he tried to follow Remus to the Slytherin common room. Sirius nodded but Remus wasn't convinced.

"Swear it, Sirius," he said as they pushed open the door to the Room of Requirement. Swear that you are _not _going to follow me." He scrutinized Sirius carefully before continuing. "I didn't have to let you come at all, you know."

Sirius held up his right hand, standing quite astutely as he did so. "I swear to Merlin that I will not follow you. I don't want to mess this up anymore than you do, you know," he added on a side note. He smirked at Remus as he studied Sirius for a few seconds longer. Finding a need to break the silence, Sirius spoke again, mirth dancing on his tongue. "I have to make sure you didn't completely fuck this potion up. You are absolutely _dreadful _at potion-making, Rem."

Remus made a glorious swing at Sirius. The latter easily ducked out of the way, chuckling. Remus shook his head, mumbling something about Sirius and celibacy. Not liking the sound of that, Sirius quickly made amends.

After several seconds of apologizing and ensuring he would do nothing to get in Remus' way, Remus gave in. "Alright, fine." He wove his way around the Room of Hidden Things to the spot where he had memorized placing the brewing cauldron full of Polyjuice potion. Sirius followed suit. When they reached the cauldron, Remus withdrew from his robes a vial full of Rabastan-hair. He dropped it into the cauldron, watching the brew bubble and turn a violent red. With a deep breath, he turned to Sirius. "Give me your robes," he said. Sirius grinned deviously, but Remus cut him off sharply. "Not _your _robes, the spare set I asked you to bring." Remus had asked to borrow a set of Sirius' robes because of Rabastan's height. There was no way he could fit comfortably into his own robes as Rabastan. Sirius' should suffice.

As if just comprehending Remus' request, Sirius pulled a neatly folded stack of black cloth from his robes and handed them to Remus. "Here you go, then," he said.

Immediately, Remus' eyes narrowed on him. Sirius swallowed visibly. "What was that?" Remus asked, setting the extra robes aside as he tried to reach into the back of Sirius' robes.

"Nothing!" Sirius replied a little too quickly.

Remus made a spectacular dive, grabbing Sirius' robes forcefully and tugging them from his shoulders. Sirius relinquished them before Remus could successfully rip them from his body (as hot as that may have been in different circumstances). Out tumbled a brilliant silvery substance. Remus growled in frustration as he picked up James' invisibility cloak from the floor at Sirius' feet. "What happened to 'I swear to Merlin', Sirius?" he asked angrily. "You are NOT following me!"

He changed into Sirius' robes in silence. He made sure to shove the invisibility cloak into his robes as soon as he had them on. He took one last look at Sirius' puppy dog eyes before ladling a large spoonful of Rabastan-potion into a goblet. "Here goes," he said, looking at Sirius nervously before tipping the contents into his mouth. They slid in a glob down his throat. His face soured considerably before his skin began to bubble. Within a minute, it was no longer Remus Lupin before Sirius Black, it was Rabastan Lestrange. Remus looked at himself in a large cracked mirror a few rows back. "Brilliant," he sighed in a voice much lower than his own. He turned to Sirius, who looked shocked, maybe even awed at the sight before him. Remus smiled broadly at his accomplishments, hands on his hips in triumph.

He led the way through the Room of Hidden Things, Sirius not far behind. As they neared the exit, Remus turned. It was strange to look at Sirius from this height. He did not have to crane his neck an inch. He could look directly into Sirius' pale eyes. "A kiss for luck?" Remus asked as he leaned towards Sirius.

"Whoa!" Sirius shouted, jumping back with wide eyes. "I love you and all, Rem," he explained, "but I can't go around kissing Rabastan Lestrange. I might vomit if I do." He smiled sheepishly, but they both knew he had been honest.

Remus shrugged, looking at Sirius affectionately – a look that did not fit Rabastan's features in any way. "Well," he said, pushing open the door and entering the seventh floor corridor, "that's completely understandable. Now, _go back to the common room_!"

Sirius nodded, waving cheerily as he and Remus parted ways. "Good luck, Rem."

**So sorry to end it at a cliffie. The next chapter - WHICH WILL BE THE LAST - is complete and will be up shortly. Please review my poor, lonely story. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So this is it, everyone. This is the final chapter! We made it! It is, once again, all Remus' POV. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Part Six**

As Remus – in his Rabastan disguise – passed through the second floor corridor on his way to the Slytherin common room, he attempted to walk in a manner he expected Rabastan would. He was from a pureblood family very closely related to Sirius' in both blood and mannerisms. He tried to embody the way Sirius acted when he had first arrived at Hogwarts. He threw his shoulders back, held his head high and took wide steps. He thought – hoped – he exuded the kind of aristocratic arrogance he had seen in Sirius on more than one occasion.

As he entered the entrance hall, he spotted a Slytherin he would have hated to meet on any other occasion – Regulus Black. He smiled to himself as he neared the boy. "Black!" he called in a mildly demanding tone.

Regulus turned sharply, looking annoyed. When he saw who had called him, his face softened slightly. "What is it, Rabastan?" he asked, sounding merely indifferent.

"I'm looking for my brother," Remus said, standing before Regulus in his tallest stance. "Have you seen him?"

Regulus looked at him curiously. "Don't you have class right now?" he inquired.

Remus laughed as cold a laugh as he could manage. "You have not answered my question, and that is not your concern."

Regulus shrugged. "He's in the common room." He paused, and Remus was sure he saw his eyes roll. "Would you like me to get him for you?"

It almost pained Remus to see Regulus submit to his every whim. Did all the purebloods tied to the Black family treat him this way? It was no wonder Sirius had gotten away from it all. It was as though the youngest Black were nothing more than a servant to his elders. But Remus could not let the opportunity slip past. "I would certainly like that, Regulus, yes."

Regulus nodded once before turning towards the dungeons. Several long and tedious minutes later, he returned with Rodolphus. He nodded once more to each of the Lestrange brothers before returning to the dungeons alone.

"Don't you have class?" Rodolphus Lestrange inquired as he peered at Remus with scrutiny. His arms were folded defensively across his chest, his eyes narrowed accusingly.

Remus nodded but waved the comment aside. "I've discovered something important," he said, trying to convey the honesty of the statement through Rabastan's eyes while simultaneously maintaining his Pureblood demeanor. He took a step closer to Rodolphus. The boy still looked very angry. Remus greatly regretted not doing further research on the relationship between the two Lestrange brothers. At this point, he decided it would be easier for them both if he got this conversation over with swiftly. "I have heard things, Rodolphus," he said quietly, "Things you will not want to hear."

Finally, Remus appeared to have gained his 'brother's' attention. Rodolphus studied him with a look of frustrated curiosity. "What things?" he inquired warily, an eyebrow cocked skeptically.

"Rodolphus," Remus began, trying to sound crass and caring all in one word. How exactly does a Lestrange experience a heartfelt moment? He was sure they were not common. He creased his eyebrows in sympathy, while keeping the rest of his composure hard and cold. "I come to you as your brother. I have heard things about Bellatrix." Remus said carefully. "Things I would never have believed had I not seen them for myself." He paused, waiting for a reaction. Rodolphus simply looked angrier – and more skeptical. Remus had to make him believe this. "She is being unfaithful," he declared boldly. "I have seen it myself."

Immediately, fury exploded on Rodolphus' face. He grabbed Remus by the collar of his robes and roughly shoved him into a wall. "You lie!" he spat into Remus' face as the air around them crackled with magic. Remus' heartbeat doubled as he was pinned to the stone. He had not anticipated a violent reaction, though he certainly should have. He held his wand tightly in his pocket – just in case. A small part of his rational mind wished he had allowed Sirius to come.

Looking directly into Rodolphus' eyes, trying to imitate the anger he saw in them, he cried, "I swear it! I have seen her!"

Slowly, Rodolphus released him. He almost looked like he meant to apologize. Instead, he paced several steps away from Remus, his hand covering his eyes. "I should not have lost my temper," he mumbled to himself before coming to a stop. It was clear to Remus that Rodolphus Lestrange saw himself as a mentor to his younger brother. He never intentionally hurt him. Remus was thankful for that. Rodolphus returned to Remus, looking at him calmly. His voice was dangerous when he spoke. "If I learn that you have lied to me, Rabastan, you will be sorry."

Remus swallowed hard, but nodded in response. Rodolphus nodded once in acknowledgement of his brother. It was sad, even for Remus, to watch a man as strong and as feared as Rodolphus Lestrange lose his composure. Remus was confident that this side of Rodolphus was seen by no one else. His hands scrubbed down the sides of his face as he mumbled under his breath for several seconds. When he eventually turned his attention back to Remus, his expression was pained. For the first time, Remus looked at him and saw a human being.

"What do I do, Rab?" Rodolphus inquired desperately.

Remus is relieved. He can work with this. "Get your own proof," he advised. "See it for yourself then confront her." Rodolphus did not speak for several moments as Remus explained and fabricated the tale of how he found out about Bellatrix and what he saw. He advised Rodolphus to skip his eight o'clock Potions tutoring and instead go to the Transfiguration classroom – in which Remus himself was discovered weeks ago. He explained that he himself saw Bellatrix there just last week; that Bellatrix betrayed Rodolphus on several occasions while he is occupied elsewhere. Rodolphus listened adeptly, though Remus could see the anger and frustration brewing just under his skin. When Remus finished, he explained to Rodolphus that they will speak of this no more. Not until after the confrontation, for Rodolphus must see Bellatrix for himself and no one can know that he is aware of what she is doing.

Fearing Rodolphus' state of mental health at that moment, Remus did not mention who it was that Bellatrix was sleeping with. He does not want Rodolphus to murder Lucius Malfoy prematurely. Before taking his leave, Remus placed a firm hand on Rodolphus' shoulder. It is the best comforting gesture Remus can administer without raising suspicions.

Both men left the Entrance hall in opposite directions, Rodolphus heading back to the dungeons while Remus excuses himself back to class. He knew it would not be long now before he turns back into himself. He will be Remus Lupin again by the time he reaches the Gryffindor Tower. The entire way there, he felt very confident that his plan would certainly work. Though, he never imagined he would leave the conversation seeing Rodolphus Lestrange as a real person with emotions and a heart. It was a strange realization. Even the craziest of the Purebloods weren't entirely mad. That was not to say that Rodolphus was not mad. Remus was more than sure that someday Rodolphus would be responsible for terrible deeds, and Bellatrix would be right there beside him the whole way. Remus was not revealing Bellatrix with the hope that she and Rodolphus will split. Things like that just didn't happen to Purebloods. Remus was merely hoping to humiliate Bellatrix and make her life a little bit harder for a while. He grinned widely at the thought.

It was then that he realized his facial muscles were slowly moving upon his skull. He was in mid-transformation back into himself. And he smiled the whole way through. This first phase of his revenge plan had gone flawlessly.

* * *

"Sirius! Please bend down! You're a lot taller than me and there's not a lot of room under here!" Remus begged as he and Sirius made the slow descent to the Transfiguration classroom. It had not been easy to convince James that Sirius had more important places to be than Quidditch practice tonight. He was certainly not receptive to the idea; the fact that he was not informed of what Sirius would be doing didn't help matters. As Remus and Sirius left the Gryffindor Tower, they were both sure James thought they were going somewhere for salacious reasons.

They were currently one corridor away from the Transfiguration classroom, and it was nearly eight o'clock. Remus was very confident that Bellatrix and Lucius would be there. He was more than confident that Rodolphus Lestrange would be on his way to see for himself if the accusations against his fiancée are true.

Sirius glanced sideways at Remus, careful not to move the invisibility cloak. "What do you want to bet Rodolphus knocks Malfoy out?" His eyes glazed as he viewed the scene in his head. A smile appeared on his face. "This might be the best thing that has ever happened." Remus chuckled at him, rolling his eyes.

He quickly sobered as they came to the mouth of the corridor they were searching for. Pushing Sirius to the side quietly, Remus began, "You have to be silent, Sirius," he said, holding a threatening finger in his face. "You have to stay by my side no matter what. Taunt her later, Sirius. I mean it." Sirius nodded, but Remus was still wary. He could be such a rash person at times. He couldn't ruin this. Remus had worked too hard. Subtly, he kept his wand pointing towards Sirius through the pocket in his robes. Just in case.

They crept up to the doorway of the Transfiguration classroom. The door was cracked. From what Remus had gathered, that was always a sign that Bellatrix and Lucius were within. She didn't even bother to close the door. Remus shook his head at her foolish assumptions of invincibility. She was in for a very rude shock. He smiled at the thought. He pointed through the crack; Sirius followed his finger.

"That's revolting," Sirius whispered as he glimpsed Bellatrix atop Lucius Malfoy's lap. He covered his mouth as though he might vomit. Remus only nodded, placing a silencing finger over his lips before dragging Sirius away from the doorway. They would watch the events unfold from the other side of the corridor – a safe distance away from the fight they were sure would ensue.

Several minutes later, they heard someone turning the corner at the end of the corridor. Sure enough, it was Rodolphus Lestrange. He already had his wand out and he looked angrier than Remus thought possible of a person; he looked murderous. The closer Rodolphus got to the doorway, the more nervous Remus became. He wasn't sure what was making him nervous. Was it the fight that was sure to come? Or was he nervous for Rodolphus – for what he was about to view? He watched with bated breath as Rodolphus stalked to the doorway. Angry magic crackled around him in a violent symphony. Remus swallowed hard. He knew what was going on behind that door, though he couldn't imagine what was going on inside Rodolphus' head. Something big was coming – something bigger than Remus had anticipated. He glanced sideways. Sirius was grinning like an idiot. Seeing him forced Remus to relax. He had done this for Sirius; it was all for Sirius.

As Rodolphus reached the doorway of the Transfiguration classroom, the crackling reached its crescendo and the door blasted open. Remus jumped at the crash as the door slammed into the stone wall. From within, there came a great shriek. Rodolphus loomed in the doorway. Around him, Remus could see Bellatrix's horrified face as she tried to remove herself from Lucius' lap without making the situation any more scandalous. She was failing miserably. Sirius' smirk grew.

"Rodolphus!" she shouted, as she finally unseated herself. She attempted to straighten her skirt, succeeding only in making it look worse. Remus watched as Rodolphus slowly made his way towards the pair. He silently pointed his wand directly at Lucius Malfoy's throat.

Lucius, who had simply looked baffled before, now looked as though he were about to die tragically. A part of Remus didn't think that was too far off. Quickly, Lucius threw one hand into the air as a way of warding Rodolphus off, while his other hand dug in his pocket for his wand. He was nowhere near quick enough. Rodolphus let out a strangled yell before slashing his wand through the air violently. Lucius flew into the air, his hair flowing behind him in a white cloud. Seconds later, he was thrown across the room. From where he stood, Remus could not see him, but he heard the telltale crash and thud that suggested he had been slammed into the wall before falling to the floor. There was no way he was getting back up anytime soon. A small part of Remus' mind feared Rodolphus had killed him. He waved it off as nonsense. No one could kill someone while still in school… Right?

Rodolphus turned his murderous glare onto his fiancée. She did not look scared or shocked. In fact, she looked angry. Very, very angry. Remus would never, ever understand the Blacks.

"What the fuck was that?" Bellatrix screamed at Rodolphus, pushing him hard in the chest. She had her own wand out pointed threateningly.

Rodolphus simply scrubbed a hand down his cheek, painful emotion clear on his face. He lowered his wand. "How long, Bella?" he asked, his voice strained.

She snarled at him, pacing away from him. "What does it matter!" she hollered when she was on the other side of the classroom, her back turned. "I have to marry you."

Rodolphus visibly slumped. "Is that all this is, then? An arranged marriage." Bellatrix nodded stiffly. "Fine," Rodolphus replied quietly, his demeanor turning to fury once more. He stalked over to her, grabbing her by the throat, his wand tip placed at her temple. "Have your fun, Bellatrix," he snarled, "But your sister _will _hear about this." He wrenched his hands away from her and turned sharply, storming to the doorway. Bellatrix had not moved an inch. He looked back at her once before whipping around the corner of the doorframe and out of Bellatrix's line of sight.

Remus watched him stalk down the hallway. He felt a great deal of pity for Rodolphus Lestrange at that moment. Rodolphus had been trying to make the best of a situation that was so much less than ideal, and Bellatrix had thrown it in his face. Bellatrix Black was truly as cold as they came. As Remus turned his gaze back to Bellatrix, he found the one thing that seemed to affect her in any way. Her face looked incredibly pained at the last words that dropped from Rodolphus' lips. It was clear that she cared for her sister; the knowledge that she was sleeping with her sister's betrothed was certainly not something she wanted to reach Narcissa Black. She looked horrified as she slumped to the floor, her wand clattering by her side. Remus didn't want to see anymore.

Quietly, he tugged Sirius' arm under the cloak, pointing down the corridor in the opposite way of Rodolphus. Sirius nodded once before taking the lead. When they were two corridors above, they took the cloak off.

"How can she be so awful, Sirius?" Remus asked immediately, looking at his lover in confusion. "How can anyone be so awful? I think Rodolphus really loves her. You should have seen him last night when I spoke to him as Rabastan. She just doesn't care."

Sirius looked down at him sympathetically. "It's not in her nature, Rem. They've been engaged since birth. It has nothing to do with love as far as she's concerned."

Remus was still upset. "I meant to get revenge on her for what she did to you. Instead, I feel like I just hurt Lestrange."

Sirius hugged him close. "Don't worry about that. Lestrange has known it wasn't going to be a great marriage. I don't think he expected her to be cheating on him – least of all with Lucius Malfoy – but he's not an idiot. He grew up with Purebloods. He'll be fine, Rem." Remus nodded as they reached the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower. As they passed through the portrait hole, Sirius added a precarious side note: "Trust me, Rem, this will result in humiliation for Bellatrix. It's gone perfectly. You just wait." Mischief glinted in his eye as he looked back at Remus quickly, winking.

* * *

Remus watched with amusement a few days later as Rodolphus Lestrange sat pointedly several seats away from Bellatrix Black at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. In the days since the blowout between the two Slytherins, Sirius had successfully convinced (brainwashed) Remus that what he had done had been for the best. Now Rodolphus knew what Bellatrix was doing. It was likely that Narcissa Black knew what her sister had done as well, and Bellatrix was miserable because of it. Somehow, the more Sirius had said it, the more Remus had believed it. Now, when he saw how flustered Bellatrix looked as her fiancée blatantly avoided her, he couldn't help but smile at his handy work. Not to mention the thoroughly bruised appearance of Lucius Malfoy; it was like an added bonus.

He watched curiously as Sirius gently let go of his hand under the table and stood from his seat. He gave Remus a brilliant, devilish smile and a not-so-subtle wink before he proceeded to the Slytherin table. Faces followed him the whole way, most as curious as Remus'. The Slytherins, he could see, were not happy about the intrusion. Remus was sure it was not only his jaw that dropped when Sirius casually plopped himself down next to Bellatrix. A great smile was on his face – a perfect contrast to her glare. Knowing this was what Sirius had been talking about as they walked to the common room on the night Bellatrix had been exposed, Remus quickly found a vacant seat at the Ravenclaw table near Bellatrix and Sirius. At this point, over half the students present in the hall were watching. Remus was sure they were all wondering who would start shooting curses first, Sirius or Bellatrix. Remus prayed to Merlin it didn't go that far.

Sirius was looking at Bellatrix intently, a smile poised nonchalantly on his face. Remus could tell that Bellatrix's jaw was clenched hard in anger. Her lips hardly moved, but Remus still heard her. The entire hall had fallen silent in anticipation for the exchange between the Black cousins. "What do you want?" It was clear that she was fighting a losing battle to keep herself calm.

Sirius' smile broadened. Finally, he spoke. "Where's Rodolpus?" he asked casually, leaning over the table as though he owned it.

Bellatrix's face glowed red with anger. "What do you want?" she repeated, her composure beginning to crumble.

"Oh, that's right!" Sirius stated dramatically, slapping his hand on the table eccentrically, "You two had a bit of a row, didn't you?" He could be described as nothing but amused as Bellatrix's fist clenched dangerously around her wand. She did not reply. Sirius had no problem pushing her further. "I hear Lucius was involved in that, was he not?"

Remus nearly choked on the air he was breathing. He could not believe Sirius had gone there. He now had no doubt in his mind that curses would fly before this was over. Bellatrix turned towards Sirius slowly, making it quite clear that her wand was aimed straight at him. He did not flinch as she spoke with venom. "You know nothing."

Sirius laughed openly – loudly. Every single set of eyes in the Great Hall turned at the noise. He stood from the table gracefully. "I know more than you think." He looked from Bellatrix to Lucius, who was seated at the opposite end of the table trying very hard to become invisible as the conversation turned to include him. Sirius raised his eyebrow suggestively as his gaze met once more with Bellatrix's. She jumped to her feet furiously, pointing her wand directly at Sirius' chest. "You know nothing!" she cried again. At her movement, Remus could no longer stand by. He stood as well, taking his place beside Sirius, his wand raised threateningly. At this Bellatrix laughed madly. Remus ignored her, his wand arm never wavering.

Sirius came to stand between them, looking at Remus meaningfully. Remus understood that Sirius wanted to fight this battle alone. He lowered his wand, but he did not return to his seat. He would be ready to defend Sirius if he had to. As Remus backed off, Sirius turned back to Bellatrix. "Now," said to her confidently, "I think we can call ourselves even." He laughed loudly as he walked away from her, Remus following slowly. As Sirius passed the Ravenclaw table, he shouted back to her mirthfully, "Be more discrete, Cousin. The general population does not take kindly to adulterers." Remus watched in awe as the jaws of the Hogwarts student body crashed to the floor in surprise and realization. Sirius had simply walked away from the havoc with his head held high and a grin planted firmly on his face. Remus was astounded by his confidence in such a situation. It was the Black in him, Remus knew for sure. He couldn't have loved that fact more as he and Sirius exited the Great Hall, their hearts and souls lighter than they had been in months. Remus could not help but break into a grin identical to Sirius'. Finally, Bellatrix Black had gotten exactly what she deserved.

**And there it is, it's all over. I hope you enjoyed reading the story, even if you don't feel like dropping a line to let me know. It was great to write and I'm so happy with the completion. Thank you to everyone who read it all the way through!**


End file.
